Creamy Cashew, Rhubarb & Ginger Pots – Tiffany Francis

It’s a pleasure as always to publish Tiffany’s latest seasonal recipe. Enjoy it!

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Rhubarb is one of my favourite summer vegetables so I couldn’t resist sharing this ridiculously easy recipe now the sun is starting to shine and the mornings are full of birdsong. The beauty of the rhubarb season is that it’s divided in two – and the first part starts now. In early spring, most locally produced rhubarb is known as ‘forced’ rhubarb, which means they are lifted from the soil in winter and grown inside warm, dark sheds to produce pink, succulent stalks. It is thought that if you enter the forcing shed on quiet nights, you can hear the faint creaking noise of the rhubarb as it grows. This indulgent recipe for creamy cashew pudding has been livened up with a squeeze of lemon juice and the crunchy tang of ginger biscuits – perfect for an early spring treat!

Ingredients

280g raw cashews

1 packet ginger biscuits

Juice of 1 lemon

80g coconut oil

150ml coconut cream

120ml golden syrup

½ tsp vanilla essence

3 stems of rhubarb

Sprinkle of sugar

 

Method

1. Soak the cashews in a bowl of freshly boiled water for an hour to soften.

2. Use a pestle and mortar or the end of a rolling pin to crush a few ginger biscuits in a bowl – these will form the base of the pudding pot so use as many as you like!

3. When the cashews are soaked, drain the water and add the cashews to a bowl with the lemon juice, coconut oil, cream, syrup and vanilla. Use a mixer or hand-blender to combine all the ingredients into a smooth, creamy mixture.

4. Chop the rhubarb stems into ½ inch pieces and add to a pan with the sugar and a large splash of water. Simmer on a low heat for 5-10 minutes until the rhubarb is soft and stewed. Leave to cool.

5. Construct your pots. Add a layer of crushed ginger biscuits to the bottom of a glass, then pour on a dollop of the creamy cashew mixture, then a spoonful of stewed rhubarb. The proportions are up to you, but I prefer plenty of ginger and rhubarb to bring a little extra zing.

6. Dust with a few ginger biscuit crumbs and leave in the fridge until serving.